Decorative candle lighting fixture



June 28, 1955 c. c. ALLYN 2,712,059

I DECORATIVE CANDLE LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed April l8, 1952 Inventor:

Chan-'les c. u g? t to 5.

DECGRATKVE CANDLE LIGHTENG FIXTURE Charles C. Allyn, Schenectady, N. Y., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application April 18, 1952, Serial No. 283,050

2 Claims. (Cl. 24fl51.1l)

This invention relates to decorative lighting fixtures and in particular to an ornamental candle simulating fixture having the appearance of an illuminated candle with a flaming wick.

With fixtures of the subject type, the objective is to produce a candle simulating lamp wherein the body portion of the lamp will have a uniform light intensity and with the electrical wiring connections hidden to avoid detraction from the candle effect. One of the problems in construction of such a fixture is the prevention of dark spots at the top of the candle; particularly when the candle simulating lamp is of the fluorescent type having a lamp holder positioned at its upper end. Normally, a fluorescent lamp gives a brilliance to the candle simulating portion of the fixture but then a dark ring is produced by the lamp holder at the upper lamp end where the flame simulating lamp would be connected to the candle simulating lamp.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved illuminated candle simulating fixture.

Another object is to provide concealment for wires and other non-illuminated parts in a candle and flame simulating light fixture.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a candle simulating lamp fixture having a halo-like effect.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a candle simulating lamp fixture having a polished ring serving the dual function of providing support for the upper lamp holders while hiding fixture wires and lending a halo-like effect to the candle simulating lamp.

Other modifications and advantages of this invention will become apparent and the features of my invention will be more particularly described in the following description and claims taken with the accompanying drawing in which there is portrayed an example of a fixture according to my invention and incorporating a preferred form of support for the two lamps.

While the description has been directed particularly to wards fluorescent type lamps, it is to be pointed out that such lamps have been chosen merely as an example to point out more clearly the operating features of this invention. Further, it is to be noted that while no details are given for the specific wiring interconnection of the lamps in my improved fixture, the wiring is well known in the art, as illustrated particularly in a copending application, Serial No. 135,948, now Patent No. 2,598,054, assigned to the same assignee as the assignee of this invention.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved fixture with parts broken away for clarity in illustration; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of an upper end portion of my candle simulating fixture while Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the upper end of a second embodiment with parts broken away, showing the flame simulating lamp attached to a support ring.

Referring to the drawing a fluorescent lamp 1 is shown supported between a vertically displaced lower lamp holder 2 and an upper lamp holder 3. Lower lamp tats Patent 2,712,059 Patented June 28, 19 55 holder 2 is mounted on a base 4 which, conveniently, is constructed to house a ballast, starter, and other necessary electrical equipment which is not shown.

Lamp holders 2 and 3 should be vertically displaced from one another some convenient distance determined by standard fluorescent lamp lengths. The lamp holders should be supported in these predetermined positions without exposing the electrical wires which are necessary for their electrification. In the illustrated embodiment this objective is accomplished by a hollow ring 5 which is highly polished, thus adapting it to reflect light emanating from the illuminated candle simulating lamp 1 to produce a halo'like effect for the candle. Accordingly, the ring 5 is positioned in the same general plane as the lamp holders 2, 3.

Upper lamp holder 3 and a lamp socket 6 are supported on opposite sides of the top of supporting ring 5, which is cut away at the bottom at that point to receive the lamp holder 3. The lamp holder 3 and socket 6 are secured by screws or other means to the remaining portion of the ring 5 to be held in overlying alignment whereby the lamp holders 2, 3 and socket 6 are in the same vertical line. Socket 6 is intended to support and energize a flame simulating lamp 7.

The necessary wires for the electrification of the lamp holders and socket; e. g., the wires 8, 9 are brought from the base 4, where they are connected with the ballast, starter and other electrical equipment, through ring 5 to upper lamp holder 3 and socket 6. With this structure the wires are hidden and do not detract from the candle simulating eifect of the lamp, regardless of the angle from which the fixture is viewed.

While the elements thus far described would function to simulate an illuminated candle with burning wick, the upper lamp holder 3 and socket 6 would produce a dark ring thereby tending to detract from the intended illusion. To prevent this dark ring, and to hide the ends of wires 8 and 9, lamp holder 3 and socket 6, a shield or candle dripping simulating element 10 is employed to cover socket 6, upper lamp holder 3 and the ends of the wires. Shield lit preferably is cylindrical and has a diameter commensurate with the size of upper lamp holder 3 and socket 6. It is cut away or notched at its sides, as shown, to clear the ring 5. Shield 10 is made from a light transmitting or translucent material and it is so positioned relative to lamps l and 7 that its lower end 11 and its upper end 12 can receive light rays from both lamps. Accordingly, the edges 11, 12 are polished and angled to receive a maximum amount of light. The light thus received will illuminate shield 10, thus hiding lamp holder 3 and socket 6. Furthermore, the inside of the shield may be etched or frosted to improve the distribution of light picked up from the edges.

In one modification of my invention, a flame element 13 is employed to produce a halo illusion for the flame simulating lamp 7. Element 13 can be either a disk of plastic or a polished ring similar to ring 5. In the illustrated embodiment, Figs. 1 and 2, element 13 is a clear plastic disk having a polished inner edge surface 14 contoured to approximate the shape of flame simulating lamp 7 while its outer edge surface is beveled. With this form, light rays from candle flame simulating lamp 7 will impinge upon inner surface 14 to be transmitted through the disk and emitted from the highly polished surfaces 15, 16 of the beveled outer edges of element 13. The light thus emitted will create the illusion of a halo for the flame simulating lamp 7 as is well known.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 3, flame element 13 is removed and the dripping simulating shield 10 is extended to lie in proximity to an illuminated portion of the flame simulating lamp 7, as well as the candle simulating lamp 1. The edge 17 of shield 10 skilled in the art and it is desired to be understood, therefore, that this invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but rather it is intended to cover all modifications which are within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A candle simulating decorative lighting fixture comprising a vertically extending, elongated candle simulating lamp, socket means for said lamp, a flame simulating lamp, socket means for said flame simulating lamp, wiring means for energizing said socket means, support means for positioning said socket means in axial alignment and for hiding said wiring means, and an outwardly exposed, substantially cylindrical translucent shield positioned around said flame simulating lamp socket and the upper end of said candle simulating lamp, said shield having lower and upper edges extending respectively around portions of both said candle simulating lamp and said flame simulating lamp and being adapted to receive and transmit light from both of said lamps to provide the efiect u of a continuous source of light.

2. A candle-simulating decorative lighting fixture corn- 4 prising a base, a halo-effecting ring comprising a tube having a highly polished, light reflecting, outer surface, means mounting said ring on said base in a vertical plane extending upwardly from said base, a pair of lamp holders for an elongated fluorescent lamp, means securing a lower one of said holders to said base, means securing an upper one of said holders to said ring, said holders being positioned so that they are adapted to support a fluorescent lamp along the vertical diameter of said ring, a flamesimulating lamp socket, means mounting said socket on said ring above the upper one of said lamp holders for supportnig a flame-simulating lamp in axial alignment with said vertical diameter, an outwardly exposed cover for said socket and upper lamp holder comprising a substantially cylindrical, translucent, light transmitting shield positioned around said socket and upper lamp holder and having its upper and lower ends extending beyond said socket and upper lamp holder respectively and being adapted to receive light from both said flame-simulating lamp and said fluorescent lamp and thereby become itself illuminated, and concealed wiring means within said base and said ring for energizing said socket and said lamp holders.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,027,575 Buck Jan. 14, 1936 2,187,551 Zwack Jan. 16, 1940 2,224,319 Schroyer Dec. 10, 1940 2,598,054 Hays May 27, 1952 2,637,926 Anderson May 12, 1953 

